Restaurant Security Cameras - A necessity?

If the register in your store is holding $Thousands at the end of the night, is it necessary to have a safe or empty the drawer? Most likely your answer is yes. Restaurant security cameras provide many valuable and needed functions for your restaurant. Restaurants are one of the first businesses to be affected by gas and raw material price increases. What is also evident, is that restaurants are one of the first hurt by an increase in the cost of living or recession...people just stop going out to eat, and when they do go out, they order less expensive and spend less money. This puts restaurant owners in a difficult position to begin with...but you already know that. Owning a restaurant is not for the feint of heart, clearly. The fact is that there are many additional factors that make it even more difficult to keep the doors of your restaurant open. From dine-and-dash customers to vandalism to less-than-honest employees, the budget of your restaurant can absorb many unexpected hits.

Restaurant security camera systems can help you keep an eye on your restaurant, watch your registers, monitor your customers, watch your kitchen and supplies and more. These security camera systems can let you record exactly what is happening, so that when problems occur you will have a complete and honest recording. There are various types of restaurant security camera systems that can help to secure your restaurant.

Restaurant Standalone DVR Systems

Standalone DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) are a great selection for smaller restaurants. These embedded style standalone dvrs provide the ability to digitally record from your cctv security cameras onto an internal hard drive, and even provide basic remote viewing capabilities. These systems are generally chosen for small installations, because they do not require a PC on location, and can still plug into a DSL or Cable broadband internet connection and allow you to watch your cameras remotely over the internet.
Standalone DVRs and Standalone DVR Systems

PC-Based Restaurant DVR Systems

For larger restaurants or installations where higher resolution video is required, PC-Based DVR Systems are a great selection. These systems in general provide higher quality recording, better quality remote viewing and additional access from Windows Mobile PDA Phones and Smartphones. These systems are the clear choice when you want to be connected to your restaurant at all times. PC-Based DVR systems are also more easily expandable for future, as well as upgradable to hybrid DVR Systems that are compatible with newer megapixel IP cameras.
Restaurant PC-Based DVR Cards and Systems

Restaurant Security Cameras

Restaurant Security Cameras are popular to provide coverage of 5 main areas of your restaurant: the customer area, the kitchen, the cash register, the storage rooms and the parking lot area. Each area has specific needs that can affect the type of security camera that is selected. That is why we have broken down each of these areas of the restaurant seperately, to provide better coverage and understanding of your restaurant's specific needs.

Restaurant Customer Area Security Cameras

Restaurant Kitchen Security Cameras

Restaurant Cash Register Security Cameras

Restaurant Parking Security Cameras

Covering Restaurant Customer Areas with Security Cameras

Restaurants are beginning to monitor the customer areas of their facilities with security cameras. These cameras can provide many benefits to interested restaurant managers. Well placed security cameras within the dining room of your restaurant are very useful in alerting managers and other personnel when customers are leaving, letting the management or servers check to ensure that the bill has been settled, and to begin clearing the table for the next customers. Also, these cameras can be used to monitor the wait staff, providing valuable information on how the staff are managing, so that managers can dispatch themselves to the tables of disturbed customers, or dispatch a server if it appears that customers are waiting for something.

Security Cameras for your Restaurant

Indoor security cameras in your restaurant can help provide evidence and recording, so that if employees break the rules, or customers skip out on their check, you will have quality video footage. Restaurant owners looking to provide this level of security should take into account the lighting level, and traffic patterns, to ensure appropriate coverage.

If light levels in the restaurant are low, then Infrared style cameras should be considered, as these cameras will provide much better coverage during these low light periods. These infrared dome cameras provide color video during the daytime, and switch to black and white mode in low light conditions allowing the camera to illuminate the area in front of the camera with invisible infrared light for night vision. However, if light levels are normal, and lights are left on at night, then daytime color style restaurant security cameras such as indoor dome cameras can be used.

When laying out the cameras for your restaurant, first take into consideration the entrances and exits. Cameras placed in these locations can deliver the best picture for identification of personnel. However, in the case of front door areas, ensure that the camera will not be caught in a backlight condition. During daylight hours, light coming through front windows behind customers that are walking in, can reduce the brightness of the faces of customers, because the camera will adjust to the brighter outdoor area. So cameras in the entryways should be positioned to look at the faces of customers, but positioned to reduce backlight conditions.

Next, you should consider placing cameras above the registers, so that you can keep track of cashflow into and out of the registers, as well as monitor credit cards. Especially as economic times get tough, more and more stories of credit card fraud increase, and often authorities rely on restaurant security cameras for evidence. Most restaurant owners and managers think that their employees wouldn't do that, but statistics show that restaurants have higher levels of employee theft than even retail stores. Restaurant Security cameras placed to cover the registers can help to deter this theft, and certainly provide evidence while possibly even alerting managers to the existance of a problem.

If there is budget remaining after coverage of entries and exits and registers, the dining area of the restaurant can provide additional value-added information to restaurant managers and owners. wideangle cameras placed in the dining room can help managers track the customer load and properly allocate resources appropriately. These cameras can also help managers watch for customers who are waiting for their server or are dissatisfied, allowing for a prompt response leading to better customer experiences. When used appropriately, restaurant security cameras used in this method can help improve the entire customer perception of your restaurant, while still providing the security that you need.